The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general early Saturday in a mostly party-line vote, capping off weeks of uncertainty and despite bipartisan concerns about his ability to run a Justice Department independent of President Donald Trump’s impulses.

Confirmation Details

Blanche, who was formerly Trump’s personal attorney, was confirmed by a vote of 50-49, with only two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voting against him along with all Democrats.

His confirmation had been in jeopardy, largely over concerns about his handling of the so-called anti-weaponization fund, which was established in connection with a purported settlement between private citizen Trump and the federal government he now controls.

Lawmakers from both parties had also expressed discomfort about Blanche’s personal history with the president.

“The problem with confirming Todd Blanche is that he has never been able to shed his role as criminal defense lawyer for Donald Trump. He just can’t do it,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote advancing Blanche’s nomination.

Blanche took over as acting attorney general in April after Trump forced out his predecessor, former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump had become frustrated with Bondi over the lack of action from the DOJ against his political foes.

Concerns Over Independence

Critics have questioned whether Blanche will stand up to Trump’s future desires to target his political enemies.

“The biggest concern is whether he is now going to be emboldened to go even more gung-ho on Trump’s campaign of using the Justice Department for retribution,” former federal prosecutor Laurie Levenson told NBC News in an interview prior to his confirmation.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.